


My Generation

by krysnel_nicavis



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bromance, Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Pregnant Greg Sanders, Romance, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wordcount: 15.000-25.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-20
Updated: 2007-11-20
Packaged: 2017-10-22 00:43:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/231770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krysnel_nicavis/pseuds/krysnel_nicavis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a time different from our own Greg must come to terms with something Nick will find extremely interesting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

I remember stories that my parents and grandparents told me of when they were young and the world was different.  Society was already in the midst of change, and mores and values were shifting out of place and reforming something new; something greater than before.  Then it happened and the whole world shifted.  Overnight it changed and nothing would quite be as it once was.

In my grandparent’s time the world had existed fundamentally as it was for thousands of years.  Those who were male would find a woman they found desirable (or at the very lease acceptable) and father the children she would bear then work to provide for his family.  And only those who were female would bring new life to the human race.

In my parent’s time, it was the same – until the Gods decided otherwise.  When my parents were children, not yet in puberty, a star fell from the heavens and bathed the world in light.  It was a strange star.  It appeared faster than anyone could have imagined.  No one could have predicted it would impact the earth as it had – both physically and otherwise.  It landed somewhere in the Gobi Desert, my mother told me, and never made a dent.  Upon impact it apparently shattered into trillions upon trillions of particles that swiftly spread throughout the atmosphere and bound with the very air that we breathe.

Since then humanity has taken a drastic evolutionary leap.  The advancements in biology that took place soon after were beyond scientific dreams.  The cosmic dust particles that bound themselves to the air molecules, once inhaled, changed their hosts.  They turned around and bound themselves into the very genetic code of the human race that breathed them.  But strangely, it only bound itself to the genetic codes of my parent’s generation – which in turn was naturally passed down to mine.

It has been through my study in human genetics that I have been able to fully understand the strangeness in the stories I was told – stories which sparked my interest in the field.  You see, in my grandparents’ time reproduction was only possible one way and had been for millennia: the male impregnated the female, and then the female carried the growing foetus within her body until birth.  When the star fell during my parents’ childhood, the effects went unnoticed for over a decade.  But as this generation hit puberty the changes began to make themselves known and it was discovered that the mutated genetic code would not wait for the next generation to fully come into being.

The mutation allowed for a different kind of family to be formed, one that consisted of two male parents instead of one male and one female.  It took time for those men who could bear children to naturally form the uterus required to carry a child – which would be conceived through anal intercourse but born through a natural canal that would also form between the scrotum and anus.  This canal would remain contracted until the delivery of the child when it would expand and dilate much like the cervix in a woman.  It was because of the time required to form the necessary organs that the condition change went unnoticed for so long.

But once it was noticed, the world stood still.  It was in a collective state of shock because it was not just an isolated incident, but universal.  Then the stillness erupted into chaos, as the calm before the storm.  There were riots, and political movements, and war.  I can only imagine what it must have been like.  For decades it was dangerous for a man to be known to have this remarkable ability.  Many were attacked and treated with the same distain as those who were homosexual in a primarily homophobic society – whether the man was indeed homosexual or not.  They were ridiculed and detested by most in society.  But it was discovered that the condition was affecting more and more people.  Even those opposed to it were faced with the knowledge that someone close to them, someone they loved and cherished, was also granted this extraordinary ability.

The United Nations came to a unanimous agreement that those males who had the now natural ability to bear children also had the right to be protected – as all humans do.  There had been some talk in various countries to ban male “carriers” to have natural children unless it be with a female or that those carriers should be required to register themselves as such.  At first people thought it was just something that happened to the one generation because when their children were born, there were absolutely no signs of the mutation in any of the male children.  However the birth and growth of the next generation began to quiet most the opposition as many of the male children reached puberty the condition re-emerged and humanity then had to face the fact that it wasn’t going away.  In this ever changing world, it became evident that even those children born of the traditional coupling of male and female were affected by the mutation and there was nothing that could be done to change that fact. 

It’s hard to say why the world population generally seemed resigned to accept it for what it was in the short span of a decade.  I don’t think we’ll ever understand it.  Of course, there are still many families who will not accept it, or will accept it with a measure of distain.  But that is the sort of thing that will, sadly, most likely remain a constant with many issues.

Testing for the condition prior to the age of maturity has since been banned, and if the test does take place it must be done only at the request of the individual.  I was a young child when this piece of legislation was finally passed, but even so my parents never felt the need to test me.  I think it was because I ended up being their only child as well as the fact that it didn’t matter to them.  For the greater majority of males in my generation, the test was seen as unimportant unless they wished for children so the greater majority of us opted to forego it.

So now it exists in society as naturally as breathing and with all the discrimination and stereotypes of anything else.  Little did I know it would change the course of my life in the least expected way.

\- 30 -


	2. Butterfly Rave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘italics’ denotes thought

The nightshift team and assorted lab-techs and other employees from the Las Vegas Crime Lab had all gone to Nick’s place to hang out and give Sara a proper goodbye party.  Everyone would miss her, especially Grissom, but life was going to be alright.  It’s not like she was going to “Mars or a galaxy far, far away” as Greg had put it.

“To Sara,” Warrick raised his beer bottle. “May you find whatever it is you’re looking for!” The rest also raised their drinks and chanted “to Sara.”  They spend the rest of the early morning drinking, listening to music, and generally having a good time in the company of each other despite the knowledge that one of their team was leaving. (1)  Not long after the toast, someone got the bright idea to start up some drinking games.  Interestingly enough, David Hodges produced two shot-glass board games: checkers and tic-tac-toe.  Bobby Dawson initiated a card game of his own invention where you deal the cards and each person flips the small stack they are given, one card at a time, and must take as many shots as the value of the card (the ace rule being the value equalling 14 instead of one)(2). Meanwhile, Warrick set up a slightly complicated dice game.  Needless to say, whether or not anyone had planned on drinking very much, _everyone_ ended up getting thoroughly trashed.

\- - -

 _‘Holy Sweet Mother of Science, kill me now!’_ was the only thought Greg could comprehend through the massive hangover he was currently experiencing.  The only thing he could think of through the pain was the fact that his best friend sure knew how to throw a party.  He groaned and opened his bleary eyes only to snap them shut again.  Light was pouring in through the open black-out curtains of the windows.  Slowly he opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light enough to enable him to at least figure out what was going on.  It took his addled brain a moment to realize he wasn’t where he should be.  Glancing around he took in the strange surroundings of a room that wasn’t his.  On the far wall he was able to see a few small banners for Rice University, Texas A &M football, and the Dallas Cowboys.  Various sports memorabilia adorned the other walls.

He rubbed his eyes and froze in mid stretch.  He looked down to find a strange right arm wrapped around his torso, a familiar silver ring on the middle finger of the hand.  His breath caught in his throat and he was suddenly scared to move.  He thought about the party earlier that morning and started piecing things together in his foggy mind.  The party was at Nick’s house.  The sports and school memorabilia were dominantly from Texas so he still had to be at Nick’s house.  He wasn’t alone in this bed and he was in Nick’s house…  After a couple minutes of trying not to freak out he took a few deep, calming breaths and chanced a glance to his side. _‘Oh God.’_

Not thinking about much more than getting out of there without waking his bed mate, even though Nick was most likely still passed out from too much booze, Greg untangled himself from the man and bedding and quickly got out of bed.  However, he was still drunk from all the alcohol he’d consumed and immediately fell over.  After realizing he was now on the floor, he also realized he was completely naked.  From the looks of it they both were – and from how Greg felt in a certain place he was pretty confident in guessing what happened.  As carefully as he was able he located his clothing and made his way to where he remembered he’d hung his jacket and kicked off his shoes.  He couldn’t help but grin at the sight of half his colleagues passed out around the front room, hallway and kitchen.  Passing the bathroom he’d noticed Archie Johnson (the A/V Tech) passed out in the tub drooling.  He slipped his shoes and coat on and exited the house before taking out his cell and phoning a cab.  As he waited for the cab he couldn’t help but laugh as he noticed Mandy Webster, the Print Tech, and Wendy Simms, the DNA Tech passed out on the front porch – leaning back to back and keeping each other upright.

\- - -

“Greg, are you doing alright?” Catherine’s concerned voice asked as he entered the break room to see her seated at the table flipping through a magazine.  It was over three months since the party.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I might be getting the flu or something,” the young CSI replied, lowering himself onto to couch and sighing.  He’d just got though throwing up in the bathroom for the second time today.

 “Still throwing up?” He nodded.

“I’ve been feeling a little nauseated off and on for the past few months, but the last few days have made me feel like absolute crap.”  He put a hand on his stomach, which was starting to get some extra padding on it.  It had been fluttering for the past couple weeks. “Feels like there’re butterflies at a rave in there.” She snickered at this.

“You should make an appointment with a doctor, soon,” Catherine said in a motherly tone. “And don’t give me any of that ‘I’ll wait and see if it passes’ crap either,” she continued as he opened his mouth. “If you don’t make the appointment, _I_ will,” she threatened, at which point he snapped his mouth shut.

“Appointment?” Nick asked as he entered and poured himself a cup of coffee before taking a seat on the couch beside Greg. “What appointment?”

“Greg’s doctors appointment.”

“You still feeling sick, man?” Nick turned to his friend, concern filling his eyes.

“It’s not that bad,” Greg protested.

“If you’re talking about the fact that you’re still throwing up, it probably _is_ that bad,” Grissom said as he entered the room with Warrick and took a seat at the table with Catherine.

“I thought you were going to make a doctors appointment,” Warrick said, pouring a cup of coffee and sitting on Greg’s other side.

“I am, I just haven’t had the time or energy,” he replied with a small yawn.  He was thankful his shift was almost over.  Lately he was frequently exhausted and as soon as he’d get home after a shift he’d fall instantly to sleep whether he was resting on the couch or actually managed to flop into bed.

“Greg, maybe you should take a few days off,” Grissom said. “You can go to the doctor, find out what’s wrong, and get some much needed rest.”

“Really, Griss, I’m-”

“Take the few days off, Greg,” Catherine said in a manner that wasn’t to be countered. “It’ll do you some good.” Greg sighed and relented.

\- - -

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Doc,” Greg said from his seat on the exam table.  He’d been to the office yesterday to give samples of blood and urine for testing and a basic physical.

“I’m afraid not, son,” Dr. Thomas replied.  He tilted his head a bit. “I’m guessing you weren’t aware that you are a Carrier.” Greg shook his head, still a bit stunned. “Well, in any case, we’re going to have to do an ultrasound and figure approximately how far along you are.” As he said this a young woman entered the room.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Zoë, I’m the ultrasound tech.”

“Hello Zoë,” the Doctor replied. “You’re right on time. This is Greg.”

“Hello Greg,” she smiled kindly at him.  He nodded his greeting, still unsure of how he felt about the situation. “I’m going to need you to lift up your shirt a bit and I’ll set up the machine.”  He complied and she got ready to apply the gel. “Sorry, this’ll be a bit cold.” Even with the warning he still jumped a bit. “Now let’s take a look.” He watched as a shape took form on the screen.  He could see it clearly.

“Look, here you can see its head, and clearly defined arms and legs.” Zoë giggled a bit. “It looks like someone has already begun to suck their thumb.” He stared at the screen, mesmerized. Zoë smiled as she looked at him. “Would you like to hear your baby’s heart?” Not knowing what to say he just nodded, his gaze never leaving the screen that clearly displayed the foetus that was currently growing inside him.  She pressed a button and a rhythmic sound filled the room.

“That’s kind of fast,” he said softly.

“Don’t worry, that’s normal,” Dr. Thomas assured him.  Greg continued to study the picture in front of him. “From the looks of it, I’d say you are about seventeen weeks into your pregnancy, Mr. Sanders.”

As he continued to watch his baby on the screen and listen to its heartbeat, he didn’t feel the tear that escaped his eye.  The longer he stared, the more it sank in.  He was looking at his baby. _‘Baby.’_ He took a shaky breath and it finally dawned on him.  The memory of waking up after the party flashed briefly in his mind. _‘Oh God… I’m pregnant…’_

\- 30 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> (1) hey, they work the nightshift, of course they’d wait until after shift (a.k.a.: morning) to have a party! Since when do all of them have the same day (or rather, night) off work?  
> (2) I have no idea if this game actually exists or not, I just thought it sounded good.


	3. The Confidant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘italics’ denotes thought

Greg entered his apartment setting his keys, cell phone, and a pharmacy bag on the kitchen counter before removing his jacket.  He took some photos out of the inside pocket and hung it over the back of a kitchen chair then walked into the living room and lowered his body gently onto the couch.  He was still in a state of shock.  He was in complete denial about what the doctor told him, but as he studied the photos in his hands that denial began to wane.  His index finger traced over the grainy image of the child that was growing within him.

“How could this happen?” he asked gently, though there was no one to hear him. “How could this be possible?” His vision blurred and he closed his eyes, hot tears escaping from beneath the lids. _‘What am I going to do?’_ He sighed and stood up, leaving the sonograms on the coffee table.  He dragged his feet all the way to his bedroom and stripped off his clothing until only his boxers remained.  As he took a shaky breath, he slipped into his still unmade bed and curled himself around a pillow.  He didn’t even attempt to stem the flow of salty liquid pouring from his eyes. _‘How am I going to tell my parents?’_ he wondered.  He wasn’t sure how his parents would react to him not only being pregnant out of wedlock but also that his pregnancy was the result of a one night stand – no matter how liberal they were they still strongly held onto certain beliefs.  As the concept of ‘one night stand’ crossed his mind he felt a bit confused.  Was it a one night stand?  It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the father or wouldn’t see him again, he knew him quite well and seen him nearly everyday.  And as soon as that thought crossed his mind, another invaded his thoughts. _‘How am I going to tell **Nick**?’_ He wasn’t sure what scared him more: the prospect of his parents disowning him, or the prospect of losing his best friend’s friendship.

\- - -

“Hey Greg, how was the doctor’s visit?” Catherine asked from the magazine she was reading as he entered the break room.  He’d been given four days off.  The first two days he spent lounging around his apartment and sleeping, yesterday being his second doctor visit in as many days.  He still wasn’t sure where he stood on the issue so he felt it best not to bring it up where possible.

“It was good,” he replied as he located his stash of Blue Hawaiian and made a pot of coffee.

“What he say?” Of course Catherine would want to know everything.  She was, after all, a mother and she viewed the junior CSI’s as her own children.

“Oh, nothing much,” Greg lied.  It was much easier to pretend nothing came up than it was to deal with it.

“Greg, I’ve been a CSI longer than you’ve worked in this lab. I can tell when you’re lying,” she said as he stretched out on the couch. “What did the doctor say?”

“What do you think about Carriers?” Greg asked.

“Why are you changing the subject?” Catherine asked back.

“Please, just… I want to know.” He almost had a kicked puppy look in his eyes as he turned to her.

“Carriers?” He nodded. “I think they’re a dream-come-true for most women,” she said with a grin. “I mean, looking through history, men had absolutely no idea what women went through just to bring children into this world. Plus, it really evens out the playing field a bit. I mean more and more men these days are in a position where they can get pregnant and be forced to deal with everything that comes with it. I think Carriers made it so women were given more respect due to the fact that men can now identify.” The fact that he visibly relaxed was not lost to her.  He looked like he was about to say something when the rest of the nightshift entered the room.

\- - -

It was now two weeks since the visit with Dr. Thomas.  Greg dragged himself through the door to his apartment, removed his coat and deposited everything onto his kitchen table before making a bee-line for the bathroom.  On top of the vomiting he’d been doing the past few weeks, for the past couple months it felt like his bladder had shrunk.  Greg had decided that it was fast surpassing annoying.  Once he exited the bathroom he wandered back into the kitchen to find something to eat.

So far, no one at work had really questioned him too much about what the doctor said.  He could tell Catherine was trying, though.  He was constantly aware of her ever watchful eye on him and was sure that, unless he said something, she’d find out on her own.  He took some of the required prenatal vitamins and sorted through his mail.  He stopped as he came to a card, the post-mark from California.  He opened it up to reveal an invitation to his parents’ 35th wedding anniversary celebration in three months and sighed.  He still hadn’t told them.  Somehow, he felt they had honestly believed he wouldn’t be a Carrier and therefore would never get pregnant.  He’d spoken to his mother the previous week.  The conversation they’d had, however, quashed any thought he’d had of them being supportive.

 _“Hello?” the voice of Amelia Sanders answered the phone after the third ring._

 _“Hey, Mom, it’s me,” Greg greeted._

 _“Gregory, how nice of you to call,” Amelia happily greeted in return. “I was just sitting here thinking about how long it’s been since I heard my only son’s voice.”_

 _“I know, Mom, I’ve been busy with work.”_

 _“I understand dear,” she said kindly. “I know how hard you work, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.”_

 _“Thanks Mom.” Greg pause, trying think of how to tell his mother that her only child was, well, with child. “How… how are things in Cali?”_

 _“Oh, everything here is going very well. Though I must say, I feel sorry for the Millers. You remember them? Mr. Miller is the VP of Communication where your father works and Mrs. Miller runs a very successful advertising agency.”_

 _“Yeah, what happened?”_

 _“As it turns out that daughter of hers has gotten herself in quite a sticky situation. From what I gathered from Mrs. Miller, young Greta has gone and got herself pregnant and is quite without a husband. Mrs. Miller was so ashamed – which is completely understandable. Imagine what an embarrassment that would be, to have a pregnancy out of wedlock attached to the family name! All I can say is at least it wasn’t her son, now that would have been a real tragedy. If it had been their Leo, Mrs. Miller admitted she’d never be able to show her face at the Country Club without the constant feeling of shame, also understandable. I mean Greta could eventually marry and change her name without fuss, but Leo…”_

He’d given up thinking of a way to break it to her.  He knew they’d find out sooner or later, but at the moment he didn’t feel like dealing with it.  At the moment he could barely deal with knowing about it himself – something he strove not to think consciously about.  Yes, it was much easier to just ignore it.  At that moment there was a knock at the door and he was brought out of the memory.  Confused about who it could be at this hour, he went to answer the door.

“Catherine, what are you doing here?”

“I just decided to drop by and see how you were holding up, Greg,” she replied as he let her in.

“Holding up with what?”

“Being pregnant.” She laughed at the deer-in-headlights look on his face. “I told you, Greg, I’ve been a CSI longer than you’ve worked at the lab. And besides, I was pregnant once myself.”

“I, uh… I don’t … I mean- well… Is it that obvious?” Greg looked a bit scared and she smiled warmly at him.

“Don’t worry Greg,” she said in a motherly tone. “They guys wouldn’t know signs of pregnancy in a _woman_ if their jobs depended on it.” He visibly relaxed and she chuckled, sitting on the couch in his living room. “So, how far along are you?” He ran his hand through his hair.

“Um, well, the Doc said I was about seventeen weeks, and that was, what, two weeks ago? So that would make me nineteen weeks along,” he replied, doing the minor calculation in his head.

“Almost half way,” she commented.  They were silent for a while before Catherine asked a question. “Greg, was this the reason you asked me what I though of Carriers?” He sighed and nodded. “Did you know you were a Carrier before you found out you were pregnant?” He shook his head no. “That’s what I thought.” He rested his head in his hands.

“I… I don’t know what to do, Cath,” he said in a small voice. “I don’t… I _can’t_ …”

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t be _pregnant_ ,” he said as he looked up to meet her eyes.  She clearly saw the fear in them. “I _can’t_.”

“Why can’t you?”

“How can I be pregnant? I mean, I’m not even gay!” She chuckled. “What’s so funny?” he demanded, feeling his eyes sting with the now familiar and annoying tears he’d been shedding since even before he’d found out.

“Oh, Greg,” she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I really don’t think it matters whether or not you’re gay, bi, or straight.”

“Why not?” he asked in a tone usually only accomplished by five-year-olds.

“Well, for one, it doesn’t work that way.”

“Well, it should.” She couldn’t help but grin at his childish antics.  He sniffed, trying not to let the tears fall. “What am I going to do?” he lamented.

“It’s not as bad as it seems, Greg,” she comforted – or tried.

“Yes it is,” he said stubbornly.

“And how’s that?”

“My parents are going to hate me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” she countered. “Your parents love you, and they always will.”

“They may love me, but when they find out I’m unmarried and expecting to pop out a baby, they’ll see me as a disgrace,” Greg cried into her shoulder.  She sighed; realizing she wasn’t going to win this one she altered the subject.

“Any other reason it seems as bad as you think it is?”

“Yes.”

“Care to let me in on it?” she asked gently. He was quiet and she stayed silent, deciding that pressing him for information was really getting her nowhere.

“I can’t tell him,” he said softly.

“Tell who?”

“The father. I can’t tell him,” his voice cracked and the tears fell from his eyes without protest, tiny streams making their way down his cheeks.

“Why not?”

“I just can’t, Cath,” Greg said as he sat up straight again. “I- he’d hate me if he knew the truth.” She decided to let the subject drop for the moment.  The two sat there on the couch for a long while before either spoke.

“So, do you have a sonogram of the little one?” she asked.  He stood and went to his room, fetching the ultrasound images from his bedside table drawer.  He showed them to her and the two spent a few more hours talking about baby things.  Greg peppered Catherine with questions about when she was pregnant with Lindsay, and slowly he began to fell at ease with his situation.

In the end he realized he had at least one person on his side.  And that was all he needed at the moment.

\- 30 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> (1) none? Omg… Well, I have up to chapter Five completed, and chapter Four has a nice little twist to look forward to.


	4. Carrier Case

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘italics’ denotes thought

He was now just over five months into his pregnancy.  Not only was everyone noticing his growing belly but they were also beginning to make comments – many of them weren’t exactly nice.  Catherine did her best to comfort him when the jabs at his weight were a bit too much for him to handle – Hodges had received a complete dressing down from her the week before, much to the amusement and confusion of the rest of the nightshift.  He was thankful to have someone he could talk to about it.  He was also thankful for the fact that Grissom wasn’t insisting on more down time for him.  He was still overly tired all the time but thankfully the morning sickness had settled into a predictable pattern and was mostly only occurring while he was at home.

He and Nick were investigating what looked to be a murder-suicide at the Tropicana Casino and Resort.  From what they could tell, the murder weapon was the pocket knife in the hand of what would be the murderer.  The “Do Not Disturb” sign had been on the door and the occupant had paid extra money to be left alone, explaining why the bodies hadn’t been discovered for a few days.  The stench of old blood was assaulting Greg’s nostrils and making him slightly nauseated – not that it was anything new these days.

“Looks like this guy had a real obsession with skulls,” Nick said as he studied a guitar that was leaning up against the wall with the window.  It had elaborate skull designs painted on the body and the fingerboard had skull and cross-bones etched into the third, fifth, seventh and tenth frets.  Of the two bodies, one (the man who’d rented the room) had a skull necklace and a tie with a skull print.  Greg nodded and began photographing the second body, another male.  Where the first was a lean brunette with tanned skin, the second was broader in the shoulders, paler in skin tone, and a bleached blonde.  He jumped slightly as a lone fly flew close to his ear.

“Got ID’s on both vics,” Detective Sophia Curtis said as she entered the hotel room. “The brunette’s name is Domenic Martin, age 28. He’s in town on vacation from Somerset, Kentucky, and from the information I got from the hotel manager the room was paid in full from Sunday until two days from now.”

“What about the other one?” Nick asked.

“Lincoln Frost, age 34, also from Somerset. Seems the two were on vacation together and frequently visited one of the locals.  This guy, James Faulkner, was the last one to have contact with either men alive. We’re sending someone over to question him.”

“Thanks,” Nick said with a nod as the coroner removed the bodies.  The two continued to process the scene.  Greg was walking over to where he’d laid his kit when the sole of his shoe caught on the carpet and he lost his balance.  Nick, who was standing only two feet away, rushed to catch him and wound up pinned between the wall and Greg.

“Oh my God, are you alright Nick?” Greg asked looking into Nicks eyes, concerned.

“Yeah, I was just going to ask you…” At that moment the baby gave a rather strong kick where Greg’s stomach was pressed against Nick’s.  At the questioning look Nick was giving him, Greg blushed and pushed away quickly. 

“We’re done here, we should get back to the lab,” was all he said and began to pack up his kit and some of the evidence bags.  Nick opened his mouth to say something but shut it and followed suit.

\- - -

After the autopsy of the two men, Nick and Greg went to the interrogation room where the police had brought in the friend of the victims for questioning.  He’d been the last person to see either of the deceased men alive. “So, Mr. Faulkner-“

“James,” the man said.  Nick nodded.

“Alright, James. When was the last time you saw either Lincoln Frost or Domenic Martin?”

“I saw Lincoln about four evenings ago and I talked to Domenic on the phone right after Link left again.” James replied. “They’d both been over that afternoon and Link had come back a few hours after they’d gone back to their hotel room, and man was he steamed.”

“Why’s that?” Greg asked.

“Seems that Link thought Dom was tryin’ to pull a fast one on him,” James answered.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, the two had been going together for the last few months, though they’d been into each other for longer. After they’d left my place, Link came back fuming that Dom had purposely not told him that Dom was a Carrier, and that Dom had gotten himself pregnant on the sly to trap him.” Greg stole a quick glance at Nick (who was staring intently at James) and continued questioning James.

“And what did you say to that?”

James snorted. “I’ve known Dom almost as long as I’ve known Link and I know for a fact that Dom didn’t know he _was_ a Carrier until he’d already gotten pregnant.” Greg shifted in his seat a bit. “But Link wasn’t listening.”

“What else did you and Lincoln talk about?”

“Link was being irrational about it. He was sayin’ that he was going to make Dom get an abortion, and if Dom refused he was going on about how he’d make the decision for him,” James explained. “I guess he’d refused.”

“So why’d Link off himself?” Nick asked. “Dom and an unwanted baby were no longer a factor.”

“I don’t know,” James shrugged. “I think Link, deep down, really loved Dom. I honestly didn’t think he’d do anything that drastic though, and maybe he hadn’t planned on it going that far. But when all was said and done, he may have felt guilty. I really couldn’t tell you.”

\- - -

Later in the locker room Greg had just removed his work jacket when Nick entered.  After the interrogation, they’d both been a bit out of sorts. “Hey, Greggo,” he said as he made his way to his own locker.

“Hey, Nick.” Greg blushed a bit as his rounded stomach was considerably more noticeable without something extra covering it up.

“Can you believe that case today? That was just messed up.”

“Yeah well, we’ve had worse.” Greg half turned away from the older man as he took his jacket off its hook.

“That guy was a sick bastard,” Nick continued as he opened up his locker and removed his work shirt. “I would never dream of turning away someone I cared about like that, and I would never even _consider_ thinking about putting my unborn child in any danger.” Greg glanced at him as he pulled on a casual t-shirt. “Personally, if the person I was with was pregnant with my baby I’d be absolutely thrilled.”

“What about someone you’re not with?” Greg asked softly without thinking. He pulled on his jacket and jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Nick said softly.  Greg hadn’t even heard him close his own locker and move closer. “I’d still be thrilled,” he replied honestly, looking Greg in the eye. “You want a ride home? I know you’ve been catching rides with Catherine lately and she’s pulling a double.”

“Oh, no. That’s okay, I don’t want to bother you.”

“I don’t mind, really.” Nick looked at him, thinking. “I want to, G.” Greg sighed and nodded.  He zipped up his jacket and closed his locker.  Neither spoke until they were half way to Greg’s apartment. “I’ve been worried about you lately, Greggo,” Nick said, stopping at a red light.

“Really? Why?”

“We haven’t really talked or hung out at all in a long time,” he said as the car was moving again. “I’m worried about what that’s doing to our friendship.” Nick paused and took a sighing breath. “I don’t want to lose you. I know there’s something you’ve been keeping from almost all of us, and I don’t want you to think you have to keep anything from me.”

“I know, Nicky,” Greg turned to face the Texan. “I just…” he sighed shakily. “There is something I’m holding in, and I want to tell you all, I just never know what to say.”  They pulled into a parking space outside the apartment complex.

“Can I come up?” Nick asked. “Can we talk?” Greg looked hesitant and didn’t answer for a moment.

“Um, sure.” They entered his apartment and he removed his jacket again as Nick shut the door.

“How far along are you?” Nick asked suddenly.

“I don’t know what-” Greg began to deny.

“Greg, I have five older sisters, and a brother who’s an active Carrier. Give me just a little credit here,” Nick interrupted with a wry grin.  Greg took a shaky breath, his nerves on end.

“A little over five months.” He turned away from Nick and began busying himself with putting away the dishes that were sitting in the drying rack.

“Look, I realize most Carriers are still afraid of what others think of them, but I want you to know I’m alright with it.”

“Thanks, Nick. That really means a lot.”

“So, you’re parents must be excited,” Nick said as he went to help. “I mean, you’re an only child, right? So this’ll be their first grandkid.”

“They, uh, don’t know,” Greg replied uncomfortably.

“Why not?”

“Let’s just say their liberal views on life don’t extend to certain areas, especially when the situation doesn’t involve a wedding band.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s their loss, I guess,” Greg said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

“It _is_ their loss,” Nick agreed, taking a seat beside him. “My family was so happy when we found out my brother was a Carrier.” Nick grinned at the memory. “That was five years ago,” he explained. “Now he and his boyfriend have a beautiful set of twin girls and another baby on the way.” Greg gave him a small grin.

“He must be happy.”

“He is,” Nick nodded. “Y’know, I had myself checked when I graduated high school but the results were negative.” Greg thought the man seemed a bit saddened by this. “I guess that’s _my_ loss, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Greg replied dryly.  Nick laughed.

\- 30 -


	5. To Frisco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘italics’ denotes thought

For the first month and a half that he knew about his pregnancy, Greg had been depressed and anxious.  He’d been afraid of how others would react, even though Catherine knew.  After Nick found out he was pregnant, things got considerably easier.  He was still a bit anxious about how Nick would react once he realized the whole truth, but it was easier none the less.  A few weeks later he’d confided in Warrick and Grissom, both of whom had voiced their support.  All four of the older nightshift CSI’s agreed to keeping it quiet when it came to others until the time Greg felt he should say something.

He and Nick had started spending more time together again, hanging out after and before shift, watching sports games, and just talking.  Their discussions amused Greg since Nick tended to include the baby, talking to it and guessing at its opinion.  When they disagreed on something, Nick would put one or both hands on Greg’s stomach, drop his head to its level and say “You agree with me, don’t you?” causing Greg to laugh and jokingly reply with “Stop corrupting the baby”.

Greg was now about twenty-nine weeks (approximately six months) along.  Nick had offered to accompany him to his most recent doctor appointment and they were currently en route to the doctor’s office.  Greg was surfing through radio stations.  He came to a station that was playing rap music. “Ouch!”

“What? Are you okay?” Nick asked a bit worried. Greg chuckled as he rubbed the spot that the baby had just delivered a rather hard kick.

“I’m fine. Baby is just putting up a real fuss. Doesn’t like this type of music.” Nick laughed.

“Can’t really blame it.” He noticed Greg was getting uncomfortable. “Must _really_ not like it,” he mused.  Greg nodded and continued to rub his stomach.  They’d discovered a couple weeks ago that the baby tended to react in a manner that conveyed dislike to any sort of rap and much of Greg’s music.  Nick reached over and changed the radio to a country music station.  He found it highly amusing that Greg’s baby seemed to have taken a real liking to his particular genre of music.  The soft guitar melody of “Picture” by Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow was just beginning and Nick sang along to it – another interesting thing that he found tended to calm Greg’s baby down.

 _“Livin' my life in a slow hell, different girl every night at the hotel, I ain't seen the sun shine in three damn days,”_ the sound of his soft Texan drawl instantly soothed the baby growing in Greg’s womb and Greg visibly relaxed, also comforted by the silky melody of Nick’s voice.  Over the past month two men had grown closer, even more so than they had been before.  Greg had begun to feel a familiar ache in his heart that he’d learned to push down and hide years ago.  He leaned back in his seat and contently listened to Nick serenade him and their baby. _“I put your picture away, sat down and cried today, I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to her.”_

\- - -

“Hello, Greg,” Zoë, the ultrasound tech, greeted as he entered the exam room.  After he’d changed into a hospital gown, Nick helped him up onto the exam table where Zoë prepared him for the ultrasound.

“And who might this strapping young man be?” Dr. Thomas said as he entered and spotted Nick.

“Hi, I’m Nick Stokes,” he introduced himself and shook the Doctor’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Stokes. I trust you’ve been taking care of young Mr. Sanders here,” the Doctor asked as Zoë began the exam.

“Yes, sir,” Nick replied with a smile.  Greg blushed and the Doctor smiled as well.

“Good, now let’s see how everything is progressing.” Greg watched amused as Nick studied the screen in wonder, the two unconsciously held each other’s hand.  He looked a bit startled for a second when Zoë flipped the switch to allow them to hear the baby’s heart beat then smiled down at Greg.

“There’s actually a baby in there,” Nick said as if it was truly dawning on him for the first time.

“That’s what I’ve been saying for weeks,” Greg teased and Nick just grinned.  Dr. Thomas and Zoë smiled at the interaction between the two men.

“Looks like everything is progressing fine,” Dr. Thomas said. “Would you like to know the sex of the baby?” Greg shot a questioning “should I” look at Nick who returned an “it’s up to you” shrug.

“Hmm, I think we’d like to be surprised,” Greg answered, neither he nor Nick realizing he’d said “we”.

“Alright. You can get dressed again, Mr. Sanders,” the Doctor said.  After explaining that within the next month Greg would notice the baby not moving as much – but that wasn’t cause for worry as the baby was just running out of room – the two departed the office.

\- - -

“So, have you decided whether or not you’re actually going to go to your parents’ anniversary party in a few weeks?” Warrick asked as the group were seated around a table at their favourite diner for breakfast after one shift.  Greg was seven months pregnant and his parents were still unaware of the fact.

“I really don’t know,” Greg sighed. “I really don’t want to have to deal with their reactions but I know my mother won’t let me out of it.”

“Why don’t you tell them over the phone?” Catherine asked before taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.

“It’s not like I haven’t tried, believe me,” Greg admitted. “I’ve been trying to tell her for weeks, but every time I get close she goes off on a tangent about something useless going on there and I can’t get a word in edgewise.”

“You could always try screaming,” Nick offered before popping a chunk of his blueberry pancakes in his mouth.  Greg playfully smacked his arm.

“I’m not going to scream at my mother.”

“You never know, Greg,” Grissom spoke up. “It might just work.”

“It’s not like I haven’t said the words either,” Greg continued. “After the first few weeks of her not letting me contribute to the conversation, I’ve just come out and said it in as many ways as I can think of, but she won’t stop talking long enough to actually hear what I’m telling her.” He sighed and ate his chocolate chip pancakes with jam. “Maybe I _should_ just yell it to her.”

\- - -

Greg did try screaming, but his mother just said “no need to scream dear, I can hear you just fine” before continuing what she was saying.  He finally gave up bothering and was beginning to look forward to her reaction.  Two weeks later found him de-boarding a plane from Las Vegas to San Francisco.  Nick had offered to accompany him but he decided this was something he needed to do on his own.  His mother had told him that his older cousin Amy and her best friend were picking him up from the airport.  However he wasn’t prepared for the shock he was about to receive when he seen them.

“Oh, my God, Greg, look at you!” the shocked and delighted voice of Amy’s friend sounded. “You look like _me._ ”

 _“Sara?”_ Greg found himself staring at none other than Sara Sidle in absolute shock, taking in her own pregnant belly. “How?” as he entered into an awkward embrace with his former colleague. “Who? When?”

“Might as well add ‘Where’ and ‘Why’, Greggy,” Amy laughed as she hugged her younger cousin. “Oh, look at your belly!” she squealed happily as she placed her hands on either side of his stomach and felt his child moving.

“I could ask _you_ the same things, Greg,” Sara said with a smile.  Greg grinned and blushed.

“I’ll explain in the car after I get my bags.” When they reached the car Sara began questioning him again.

“So, how did you end up like this?” she asked with a wide smile.

“Um, actually, it was all thanks to that party we threw for you,” he replied thinking back.  It seemed like forever ago now. “I drank way too much, courtesy of Bobby Dawson’s ‘no fail, get trashed’ card game. Next thing I was fully aware of, I woke up in bed with my best friend, completely naked and rather sore,” his cheeks flushed and the two women roared with laughter at his explanation.

“Nick must’ve been happy, huh?” Sara asked as she turned her head to look back at him.

“Actually, he was kinda still passed out when I snuck out,” Greg admitted. “And I haven’t actually admitted everything to him yet.”

“What? Why not?”

“I’m still afraid of what his reaction will be,” Greg sighed and looked out the window. “I mean, he is completely supportive about this pregnancy anyway, but I’m not sure how he’ll take the fact that the baby is actually his.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Greggo,” Sara comforted in an almost knowing way.

“Anyway, how about you? How did you warrant a visit from the stork?” He looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Honestly, the same way it happened to you,” she replied. “Only I woke up next to Gil in Nick’s guest bedroom.”

“Grissom? Does he know about it?”

“Um, no,” she admitted bashfully. “ _I_ didn’t even know until I was long gone,” she argued.

“How come you haven’t told him?”

“Oh and Nick is completely in the know?” she countered dryly.

“Point taken,” the three laughed and they continued their drive to the Sanders’ residence.

“How did your mother take the news?” Amy asked as she navigated the streets of San Francisco. “I mean, you’re not married and we all know how she is.”

“I did everything I could to tell her, even yelling, but she couldn’t hear me over her own talking,” Greg explained.  Amy rolled her eyes.

“That definitely sounds like her.”

“How do you know how she is?” Greg asked Sara.

“Apparently she was herself when I was introduced to your folks a few days ago,” Sara replied sullenly.

“Well, we can at least be miserable together,” he said.

“Oh, and Greg, if you ever need to get out of that house, even if it’s for the rest of your stay, you’re always welcome at my place,” Amy offered. “Sara’s living with me and we could always use your company.”

“Thanks, Aims, I just might take you up on that.”

\- 30 -


	6. Woes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘italics’ denotes thought

Greg took a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves.  He was afraid again.  Amy pulled into the driveway of the Sanders’ home and the three exited the vehicle.  Greg left his luggage in Amy’s car, getting the feeling he’d only be dragging it back out to it anyway.  They removed their jackets and hung them up in the closet connected to the foyer.  Greg took another deep breath and followed Amy and Sara into the rather large living room where a small party had gathered – many of those present were colleagues of his father, who was the Vice President of a major medical centre (one that specialized in prenatal health and paediatrics… among other things).  The official anniversary party wouldn’t be for another two days.  The guests who noticed him gave him distasteful looks as they took in his enlarged stomach and bare ring finger.  All of his parents’ friends shared their views on marriage and children – they were acceptable only if done in that order.  It only took a few minutes for his parents to notice his arrival, and by the tight expressions on their faces, they were feeling exactly how he expected them to.  But they were in the middle of a large crowd, so it wouldn’t do to get angry just yet.

“Gregory, darling,” his mother said in a falsely sweet voice. “How lovely of you to make it, I thought you might not have wanted to make the trip.” Her full meaning was not lost to him.  She was, in her clouded way, telling him it would have been less embarrassing to her and his father if he just hadn’t bothered to show up without an explanation.  She had made it seem as though she knew about it when she didn’t.  He caught sight of Leo Martin, who had a condescendingly smug expression on his face.  He and Greg had always been at odds.  It was a little acknowledged fact that Leo had been born a Carrier but had undergone a complete hysterectomy as a teenager.  Of course _he_ would see this as a triumph – and probably his _only_ triumph when it came to outdoing Greg.

“Of course I’m here, Mother. You know I wouldn’t miss you anniversary for anything,” he replied, making a small attempt to maintain a cheery voice to at least keep up appearances for the time being.

“Of course dear, why don’t you go lie down and rest. I’m sure you’re exhausted after such a long trip.”  He inwardly rolled his eyes.  She just wanted him out of the room but couldn’t say it that way in front of so many witnesses.

“Thank you Mother,” he said curtly and bowed his head slightly before exiting the room.

“Amy, why don’t you and your friend here accompany your cousin,” his mother continued.

“Yes Aunt,” Amy replied as she and Sara followed Greg to his childhood room.

“That went well,” Amy commented.

“Yeah, even I expected more of a reaction out of her,” Sara agreed.

“Too many eyes to witness the exchange to react any other way,” Greg muttered as he lowered himself onto the double bed.  Sara lowered herself next to him and the two women nodded.

“Ah, yes, everything she says in front of others must be taken with a grain of salt,” Amy said.

“A _grain_ of salt?” Greg commented. “You mean a dash of salt, a wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.” The other two snickered.

“So tell me, how exactly does Nick seem to feel about you being pregnant at all?” Sara asked a bit of worry in her eyes.

“He’s been extremely supportive,” Greg assured her. “For a long while after I found out only Catherine knew about it, she’d figured it out on her own.  Nick sort of found out by accident a couple months ago.”

“What do you mean by ‘accident’?” Amy asked as she sat in the desk chair.

“I, uh, tripped at a crime scene when I was about five months pregnant,” Greg explained. “He caught me before I fell but ended up wedged between me and a wall. Apparently the baby didn’t like be quashed between us and kicked him.”  The girls chuckled.

“That’s definitely your baby,” Amy commented.

“You wouldn’t think so judging by the music it responds well to,” Greg countered.

“What, it don’t like Manson?” Sara asked with a grin.

“Let’s just say in that respect it’s all Nick.” Sara laughed until tears formed in her eyes.

“How bad is that exactly?” Amy asked as she took in Sara’s reaction.

“Put it this way,” Sara managed to say through the laughing. “Nick’s a pure Texan.” Finally getting the drift, Amy also burst out laughing.  Greg just rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically – which only made the girls laugh more.  Hours later, the party downstairs ended and Greg’s parents requested Greg to meet them in his father’s study.

“Gregory,” Amelia Sanders addressed her only son. “You’re our son and we love you,” she began. “We want you to be happy and live a successful life, you know this. We want every opportunity available to you and will help you in any way we feel we can.”

“I know that, Mother.”

“Gregory, we want to help you,” she said as she stepped closer to him. “We know some doctors on your father’s company’s payroll that will still perform the procedure at this stage. They’ll be discreet. No one will know.”

“What are you saying, Mother?” Greg could hardly believe his ears.  He didn’t want to believe his mother was actually suggesting what he thought she was suggesting.

“We’ve already taken the liberty inquiring on you behalf, son,” Vernon Sanders spoke up from behind his desk. “The company will fully fund the procedure.”

“All we need to do is set up the appointment and we’ll be able to have this problem taken care of and this whole mess straightened out, darling,” Amelia continued.  Greg was shocked beyond anything else in his entire life.

“This _problem?_ ” he shook his head. “This _mess?_ The only ones who see this as a problem or mess is you two,” he shrieked.

“Now, son,” Vernon started, standing up. “Let’s be rational-“

“I _am_ being rational, _Father_ ,” Greg stated hotly before turning on his heel and storming out of the room.  He quickly made his way back to his childhood room where Amy and Sara were still waiting.

“Greg, what’s wrong?” Sara asked the moment he entered the room.

“What did they say this time?” Amy questioned, pulling her distraught cousin into her arms.

“C-can we go to- to your house now?” Greg asked in a small voice as he tried to control the sobs that were strongly threatening to escape.

“Of course,” Amy said as the three left the house.  An hour later the three were sitting in Amy’s guest room, Greg resting on the bed, Amy and Sara sporting looks of pure outrage.

“I can’t believe they would even suggest such a thing,” Sara choked out. “You’re seven and a half months pregnant for one, and more importantly it’s none of their business to go a head and make plans for an abortion _for_ you. You’re a grown man for Christ’s sake!”

“Well, this _is_ Amelia and Vernon Sanders we’re talking about,” Amy said as she paced the room, absolutely livid at her aunt and uncle. “Don’t you worry, Greg, if they want to try force anything on you they’ll have to do it over my stone cold corpse.” Sara nodded and agreed.

“I really appreciate your concern, guys,” Greg sniffed from where he lay.

“Don’t mention it, Greg,” Sara said softly. “I’m your friend and Amy’s your cousin. We’ll always be there when you need us,” she assured him.

“You bet your ass we will,” Amy agreed. “Now you get some rest,” she said as she smoothed his hair. “We’ll be in the living room if you need anything, okay?” He nodded in response as he began drifting off.

\- - -

The next morning Greg awoke to the feeling that he was being watched.  His eyes fluttered open and he spied a figure sitting on the chair Sara had occupied the day before. “Hey, babe, how you holding up?”

“Nick?” he asked in disbelief as he struggled into a sitting position. “What’re you doing here?” Nick stood up and took a seat on the bed next to Greg, helping him up.

“Sara called me last night and explained the whole thing with your parents,” he explained, pulling Greg into a comfortable embrace. “I took the next available flight out here.” Greg snuggled into Nick’s shoulder. “I almost fainted in shock when I seen Sara, by the way,” he added and Greg chuckled. “Man, your mother sounds like a piece of work.”

“Yeah, she’s something else. As Papa Olaf tends to say: they broke the mould when they made her – then beat the hell out of the mould maker for good measure.” They shared a laugh.

“Nick, can I ask you something?” Greg asked as he sat up a bit.  Nick nodded. “What made you come all this way?”

“I’m not sure, really,” Nick replied, a small grin on his face. “Sara said you were upset. I guess I just figured you’d appreciate another familiar face and some extra support.”

“Thank you,” Greg said as he lay his head back onto Nick’s shoulder.

“No problem. Hey, Amy told me a few hours ago that she booked tickets for the four of us back to Vegas tonight.”

“Mmm, I can’t wait to get home,” Greg sighed. “So, what are we all going to do until then? Sit around and watch movies?

“I have an idea,” Nick said after a while. “Why don’t you, me, Sara, and your cousin do some fun leisurely activities today? Get out and you can show me some of the sights. You look like you can use some relaxing sight-seeing.”

“Hmm, that actually sounds good.”

“It’s a date then.” True to his word, the entire day was both fun and relaxing.  They didn’t do anything at all strenuous and both Greg and Sara were able to fully enjoy the events of the day.  Greg was happily chatting with Sara about babies as the plane taking them back to Las Vegas took off.

\- 30 -


	7. Naming Names

Greg had never been so glad to be in Vegas.  He was sitting in the passenger seat of Nick’s Denali with a protective hand on his stomach.  Sara and Amy were seated in the back.

“How you holdin’ up over there, G?” Nick asked as he navigated the streets to where Greg’s apartment was.

“Much better now that we’re finally home again,” Greg said with a sigh. “If I can help it, I’m never setting foot in the state of California again.”

“I don’t blame you there, Greg,” Amy said with a laugh.

“I mean it. And even if I do, at the very least I won’t permit my child to go there.”

“It’ll be okay, Greggo,” Nick said with a comforting smile.

“I know it will, Nicky,” Greg returned the smile.  They reached the apartment complex and Nick carried Greg and Sara’s suitcases in for them.  Sara and Amy quickly followed.  Greg had offered to let them crash at his place – though Sara was going to have to share a bed with him and Amy was going to be stuck on the couch, but the girls didn’t mind.

“Man I can’t wait until the rest of the team gets a look at you Sar,” Nick said as he placed Greg and Sara’s luggage in the front room.

“I only wish I shared your enthusiasm,” Sara commented as she lowered herself onto Greg’s couch.

“Are you afraid of how they’ll react?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“I could, but somehow I get the feelin’ that I’d be wrong,” Nick replied with a smirk. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, especially not Grissom. I’ll leave that for you.” Sara looked at him startled.

“How’d you pick up on that?”

Nick shrugged. “I know I’m dense, but I’m not completely stupid.” Greg hid his chuckles with clearing his throat as he felt his cheeks flush.

“I think I’m going to get something to drink, how about you guys?”

\- - -

Nick invited the other three over to his house for supper that night.  After the meal, Greg was found sitting on the porch swing looking out at Nick’s backyard. “Hey Greggo, what you doing out here?”

“I just wanted some fresh Las Vegas air,” Greg replied.  He was feeling even guiltier over the fact that Nick still didn’t know.  Nick took a seat beside him.

“Greg, I want to ask you something, but if you think it isn’t a good idea that’s fine,” Nick asked softly as he cradled Greg’s body to his.

“What is it Nicky?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to move in with me,” Nick replied quietly.  Greg rose an eyebrow. “If you don’t want to I’ll understand. I was just thinking, uh, I mean, your apartment is nice and all, but it’s startin’ to seem a bit on the small side.”

“You want me to move in with you?”

“Well, um… yeah,” Nick blushed.

“Why?”

“After Sara told me what happened between you and your parents, and what they’d suggested, I felt… honestly, I felt like I needed you here,” Nick said, looking down at his hands. “I was so worried about you, and about the baby. I kept thinking what it would do to you if you lost the baby, and what it would do to me if I lost you both.” Greg reached over and slid his hand into one of Nick’s. “With the time we’ve been spending together lately, I’ve realized that I want to be a part of your life, and your baby’s life, in a more profound way… if that makes any sense.”

“You’d raise someone else’s baby?” Greg asked tentatively.  For some reason Greg found that he needed to know how Nick felt about raising a baby that wasn’t his.  If he was truly fine with that, Greg could find a little assurance that the truth wouldn’t be taken so hard.  Nick looked into Greg’s eyes.

“It’s _your_ baby, Greg. How could I not want to raise _your_ baby with you?”

“Okay, Nicky,” Greg said after a moment.

“Really?”

Greg turned his head away to look around the yard then back to look at Nick with a grin on his face. “Yes. I think I rather like that idea,” he said.

“I think I like it too.” Nick smiled back and softly placed a kiss on Greg’s hand.  He kneeled in front of Greg to bring his head to the level of Greg's rounded belly, placing his hands on either side of it. “So what do you say? I know I don’t have any experience being a daddy, but I’d love to give it a shot,” He spoke to the baby.  Greg could feel it turning towards the sound of Nick’s voice.  Nick grinned as he felt the child move. “I think that’s a yes. See, I knew you'd agree with me!”

“Nick,” Greg said, rolling his eyes. “Stop corrupting the baby.”

“It’s not corruption, it’s quality time between the non-carrying parent and the unborn child. It’s very delicate, we must bond. Now, if you’ll excuse us,” Nick quipped as he turned back to the baby inside Greg and Greg raised an eye-brow at how easily Nick accepted parenthood – Nick seemingly completely oblivious to the full meaning of the statement.

“Oh sure, I’ll just go into the house and leave you two to your “bonding” corruption,” Greg sarcastically chuckled. “Deviants,” he muttered with a smile.

\- - -

“Just so I’m clear, why exactly is Greg moving in with you?” Warrick asked as he helped Nick move Greg’s things into Nick’s house two days later.  The darker man had formed a suspicion in his mind the moment Nick asked him to help move Greg’s things, he was just looking for confirmation.  Nick placed the box in his arms on the floor and sighed.

“When Greg went back to California, his parents were less than enthusiastic about the baby.”

“How much less?”

“They were arranging for him to have an abortion,” Nick replied.  Warrick let out a low whistle.

“That bad? But it still doesn’t explain why he’s moving in with you.”

“Well, Sara – who’s been living with Greg’s cousin in San Francisco – called me the evening he left Vegas and explained to me what happened. After she told me it was like everything fell into place in my mind. I didn’t even have to think about it when I booked a flight out there, I just wanted to be with him and be there for him.”

“You love him,” Warrick stated.  Nick blushed and gazed at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I’ve kinda loved him for years. I’ve just never gotten up the nerve to tell him,” Nick said as the two went back out to the moving truck to bring in more boxes. “Truthfully, I _still_ haven’t told him, or rather I haven’t said the exact words. I mean, I have told him that I want to be a big part of his life, and his baby’s life, I just haven’t told him I love him.”

“You should, man,” Warrick said. “I’m sure he feels the same way.”

“How do you know that?”

“He’s moving in with you and is willing to raise his baby with you,” Warrick pointed out.  Of course he left out the conversation he’d had with Catherine at the date/breakfast they’d had earlier today.  They’d been secretly dating since Sara’s going away party and this morning Catherine had shared a little theory of hers she’d had for a while now.

Her theory?  Greg – who’d been single for over a year before getting pregnant – had gotten pregnant at the same party she and Warrick had gotten together at.  She’d also keenly picked up on Nick and Greg’s attraction for each other (which had become easier to pick up on ever since they’d all found out about Greg’s baby).  Her little theory also went as far to say that Greg and Nick were in denial about their attraction and at the party, well, _in vino veritas_ : truth in wine.  This, obviously, meant she figured Nick was the biological father of Greg’s baby – and by the sound of it Warrick figured Nick was intending on playing the father of Greg’s baby, who quite possibly was actually his own baby as well.  In all honesty, Warrick hoped Catherine’s theory was true.  Little did he know he wasn’t the only one currently in the room who wanted the theory to be true – even if one of them wasn’t aware of the theory’s existence.

“I see your point,” Nick responded. “And I will tell him. But regardless of the circumstances, I’m still a bit nervous.”

\- - -

Two weeks later Greg was officially on maternity leave and comfortably settled into what was now his and Nick’s house.  Amy had flown back home – for the time being.  Sara had decided to transfer back to the Las Vegas Crime Lab but she was holding off on submitting her transfer request forms due to the fact that she was currently on maternity leave herself.  Also, for the past two weeks she’d been hiding out at Nick and Greg’s place – swearing them both to secrecy about her own pregnancy as she struggled with a way to tell Grissom.  Nick was planning a ‘Welcome Back Sara’ party that he would throw once she finally decided to fess up.

Nick’s family had been thrilled to learn of his new relationship – and who it was with. His mother had immediately wanted to come to Vegas for a long visit to “spend some quality time with that future son-in-law of hers” as she put it.  But Nick was able to fend her off saying that marriage between him and Greg was still uncertain.  Of course his mother didn’t care and said she’d travel to Las Vegas after the baby was born.  Two months prior Nick’s brother – who already had twin girls – had given birth to a baby boy.  Greg had been spending some time since his return to Las Vegas having phone conversations with the experienced Carrier and was able to shake off any lingering fears he still had.

“So have you and Nick thought about names for the baby yet?” Sara asked as the two lounged around Greg’s living room watching romantic comedies, eating caramel popcorn, and drinking orange juice one evening after Nick had gone to work.  Even though Nick was _still_ as clueless about his baby as Grissom was, he was taking a more active part in helping Greg make decisions about the baby.  They were a couple after all.

“Well, if it’s a girl, we kind of like the name Quilla,” Greg replied as he popped some popcorn into his mouth. (1)

“Quilla? I’m not even sure I want to know what you’d name a boy,” Sara teased.  Greg grinned in reply.

“Nick wants to name a boy either Austin or Dallas, which I’m against. Personally I’d like Coleman, Kyle, Chesney or Manson.” (2)

“Austin? Dallas? At least he didn’t suggest Houston.” Greg made a face at this and Sara laughed.

“Thank God, ‘cause then we’d have a problem and I’d have to reconsider this whole relationship.”

“On the other hand, while I understand Coleman and Kyle I have to question Chesney and Manson.”

“What can I say,” Greg shrugged. “I like my music.” He took a sip of his orange juice. “And the baby likes Nick’s” he added.  Sara just shook her head and returned her attention to the television. “So what have you considered?”

“Well, I like Andrew for a boy, and I’m not sure about whether I prefer Kari or Danielle for a girl.” They watched the movie some more before Sara asked the question she’d been wanting to ask for a while. “So, what last name you giving the baby?”

“Hmm, we haven’t decided yet. Honestly we haven’t even broached the subject. I was thinking that we could either go with the hyphenation of Sanders-Stokes or just go with Stokes,” Greg replied. “But I’m not sure what Nick would want.”

“You’re still holding off telling him, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure why though. He’s been so wonderful since he found out about the baby in general, and now he’s willing to raise a baby he thinks is someone else’s as his own. I don’t know why I’m holding off still.”

“It’s been so long that you’re afraid it’s too late,” Sara said quietly.

“You too?” Sara nodded.

“So, you’d stick with Sanders? I know it’s none of my business, but your parents are certainly more than slightly off centre.”

“Yeah, well, they may be Sanders’ too, but I kinda like the name. It’s part of who I am, I mean they may share it but the name’s not what makes the person,” Greg explained and Sara smiled. “But I’d love to have the excuse of hyphenating,” he added after a few moments.  They finished the movie they were watching and popped in another one. “Hey Greg, can I ask you a personal question?”

“Since when do you seek permission before you ask?” Greg grinned and Sara just smacked his arm.

“I’m serious.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“How did you not know you were a Carrier?” She tilted her head to the side. “I mean, with women we know we’re able to conceive children because of the menstruation cycle we go through.”

“Did you just ask me if I get a period every month?” Greg raised his eyebrow and Sara blushed.

“Um, yeah?” Greg burst out laughing at her somewhat embarrassed expression.

“Sorry, Sar, but the answer is no,” Greg chuckled then elaborated. “As you’re well aware, women ovulate every month, and basically when the released egg is unfertilized the blood that’s built up in the uterus walls is released and washes out the unfertilized egg.” Sara nodded. “With Carriers, on the other hand, the ovulation is triggered by the presence of sperm, meaning that if a Carrier engages in unprotected sex as the submissive partner he will, without a doubt, become pregnant – unless, of course, he’s already pregnant.”

“So you’re saying that if a man is completely unaware he was a Carrier, like you were, and he “bottoms” – no pun intended – he _will_ get pregnant and not even know it? Again, like you were.”

“Yep. And on average, women are born with about one million eggs in their ovaries. You ladies already come fully equipped for conception. Carriers, though, don’t have ovaries per se.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, when we’re born, we have all the parts of a, shall we say “normal” man. As we get closer to puberty, our uterus is formed, our skeleton somewhat reshapes itself – I still haven’t been able to figure that one out – and this complex little tube system connects one of the testicles to the uterus.”

“Like a fallopian tube?”

“Kind of, it’s more complicated though. Its function has been found to take a sperm cell from the Carrier’s testicle and mutate its structure from a sperm to an egg. As you can imagine, a sperm and an egg come together much like a lock and key – you can’t get far with only two keys.”

“But I’m sure you can have a lot of fun,” Sara joked. Greg snorted and they threw a bit of popcorn at each other before turning back to the movie. “So, you’ll get pregnant every time guaranteed?” Sara asked after an hour.

“Sucks, don’t it?”

\- 30 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> (1) Quilla is a name I’d like to use in the re-make of my Exchange Student’s fic (it’s a Harry Potter fic) if I ever get around to re-writing it...  
> (2) Coleman and Kyle are the middle names of actors George Eads and Eric Szmanda (respectively).


	8. Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘italics’ denotes thought

The next morning Greg woke up to a slightly familiar scene.  He was lying in a now only somewhat strange bed with an arm wrapped around his chest – a silver ring displayed on the middle finger of the hand.  He stretched and the arm tightened around him a bit.  He sighed contently and leaned back into Nick’s frame, nothing but skin separating them.

“Mmm, morning,” Nick said as he trailed light kisses along Greg’s bare shoulder.

“Morning,” Greg replied with a yawn.  He let out a grunt of discomfort as the baby sent a hard kick into one of his ribs. “Looks like someone else is awake as well,” he commented as he rubbed the sore rib.  Nick chuckled and soothingly massaged the area.

“Guess Baby doesn’t agree with the notion of sleeping in.” They remained silent for a long while, content just to focus on the movement of their child.  _Their_ child.  The thought crossed Greg’s mind and he felt his eyes begin to sting.  Sara had been right, he was afraid it was too late to tell Nick.  He was afraid Nick would be angry that he’d lied for so long and leave him.

\- - -

“Nick! Greg!” Sara’s frantic voice reached them where they sat at the kitchen table eating lunch.  Amy had flown back to Vegas and dragged Sara with her to do a walk-through at a house she wanted to buy.

“Sara, what’s wrong?” Greg asked as they entered the living room to find the two frantic women rushing in.

“Greg, it’s your parents, they’re planning something,” Amy explained. “I had to go to the store after Sara and I looked at that house and I ran into Leo Martin, of all people.”

“What’s Leo doing in Vegas?” Greg asked confused.

“I don’t know, but that isn’t the point. He said something about your parents arranging to have you admitted into one of the hospitals owned by your father’s company to ‘clear up your little problem’ for you.”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Greg’s mother’s voice sounded.  The four turned to find Amelia and Vernon Sanders walking into the house with four security guards from _Gesunde Kinder_ (1), the company Vernon Sanders worked for, in tow.  Nick looked ready to shoot someone and kept his eyes trained on as many of the guards as he could.

“Mother, what are you doing?” Greg asked as Sara snuck into the kitchen unnoticed.

“Gregory, I told you in San Francisco. You’re our son, and we _will_ help you in any way we feel we can.” Greg looked at her in complete shock.

“I don’t _need_ your help,” he said, outraged. “I never asked for your help and I don’t want it.”

“Gregory, son,” Vernon spoke up. “You’re not thinking clearly. This… situation… has clouded your judgement.”

“What ‘situation’? I’m pregnant and I’m happy. What could possibly be wrong with that?”

“Don’t be stupid, Gregory,” Amelia said. “This has already begun to ruin our lives. Now you are getting rid of it and that’s final.”

“You’ll have to pry it from my corpse.”

“Gregory, don’t speak to your mother that way.”

“I’ll speak however I God damned well please.”

“Gregory, listen to you,” Amelia continued. “This’ll only get worse. You’re life may has well have ended.”

“You’re both talking crazy,” Greg said, hysterical now, as he backed away from the advancing guards. “Get away from me!”

“Hey, get your damn hands off my boyfriend,” Nick shouted as he began to physically distance the guards from Greg.

“Sir, please,” one of the guards tried to calm Nick. “We have to take him, he’s very sick.”

“No, I’m not, now get your hands off me!” Greg screamed.  Chaos was breaking loose as the guards tried to drag Greg away from Nick.  Nick was starting to throw punches.  Amy was pleading with Greg’s parents to reconsider while Greg’s parents were pleading with Greg to comply.

“Las Vegas Police, stop what you’re doing and put your hands in the air!” Everyone in the living room stopped moving as they turned to the person who’d spoken.  There were about six officers standing with Captain Jim Brass.  Behind them stood a several members of the Las Vegas Crime Lab – Grissom and Catherine included.

“I suggest you men take your hands off my CSI’s,” Grissom said to the security guards who were gripping onto both Greg and Nick.  The men complied and stepped away.  Greg, Sara (who’d returned when Brass had shouted), Nick, and Amy quickly went over to where the Forensic personnel were standing.

“Griss, what’re you all doing here?” Greg asked as he got closer to where not only Grissom and Catherine were standing but also Warrick and, of all people, Ecklie.

“Sara called me directly and told us what was going on,” Grissom explained as he took in Sara’s form.  Sara noticed this and blushed but didn’t look away.

“You really couldn’t expect us to just let them endanger the lives of our personnel and, for all we know, future personnel,” Brass quipped as Detective Sofia Curtis and other officers handcuffed the guards, and even Greg’s parents, before dragging them out to the awaiting police cruisers. “You may not be police officers, but you’re still law enforcement, and believe it or not, there are many on the Force who actually hold the nerd squad in high regard.” Just then Greg clutched his stomach and double over in pain.

“Greg, what’s wrong?” Nick asked concerned as he grabbed hold of the younger man to prevent him from falling over.

“I- I don’t know, oww.”

“Oh my God, he’s going into labour,” Catherine said as she shoved Ecklie and Grissom aside with one push and rushed forward. “We have to get him to the hospital.”

“Now?” Nick asked, stunned.

“Yes _now_!” Greg snapped as another contraction hit.

“We have to hurry, this is going too fast,” Catherine said as she observed Greg.

“I’ll lead the way with some cars,” Brass said as the group exited.

“Are you saying I get a police escort to deliver my baby?” Greg asked, grinning despite the pain.

“Something like that,” Brass also grinned.

\- - -

“Is he going to be alright, Doctor?” a frantic Nick asked Dr. Thomas.

“Please calm down Mr. Stokes. The pain Greg is in right now is due to the fact that the birth canal has been forced to open at an accelerated rate due to his early labour,” Dr. Thomas explained.  Nick and Catherine were standing on either side of the bed Greg was currently occupying.  Catherine couldn’t help but smirk as she watched Nick freak out.  Due to the pain Greg couldn’t help but roll his eyes.  He wasn’t even as worked up as Nick and it was happening to _him_.

“Look Doc, how much longer is this going to take?” It was _extremely_ uncomfortable for Greg and progressively getting worse.

“Well if Mr. Stokes and Ms. Willows would excuse us I can check to see how far you’ve dilated.” Nick looked like he wanted to stay but Catherine took a firm hold on him and dragged him into the hall.  Grissom and Sara had both remained at Nick and Greg’s house to discuss the issue of their own child.  The current occupants outside the room were Warrick, Sofia, Brass, and Ecklie.

“How is he Cath?” Warrick asked immediately.

“Doctor says he’s fine, he just went into early labour.”

“Alright, I think Nick should stay with Greg,” Ecklie said, noticing the frantic worry in the young CSI. “But I’m afraid the rest of us need to get back to work. Shift starts in an hour.” Catherine turned to Nick and was about to ask him to tell Greg they’d be by after shift when a loud shout came from the room they’d just exited.

“NICHOLAS STOKES, GET YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE!”

“Okay, good luck man,” Warrick smirked as he and the rest left Nick to hurry into the room.  He rushed to Greg’s side as a nurse entered with a wheelchair.

“We’re moving him into the Delivery room,” Dr. Thomas explained as two nurses assisted Greg into the chair.

“Christ, is it over yet?” Greg whined as he was brought into the delivery room and helped up onto the bed.

“It’s going to be fine, honey,” Nick soothed as he retook his post beside Greg.

“Easy for _you_ to say, you’re not the one who has to do this!” Greg snapped and immediately teared up. “Nick, I’m so sorry,” he choked after Dr. Thomas excused himself for a moment – Greg wasn’t fully dilated yet so there was still a ways to go.

“What do you have to be sorry about, sweetheart?” Nick asked concerned as he wrapped his arm around the younger man’s shoulders.

“I- I should have told you sooner,” Greg cried as the pain settled into rhythmic contractions. “I should have mentioned what happened the night… day… of the party. I shouldn’t have just ran out. I-“

“Greggo, it’s okay, we’ll talk about this after.”

“No, Nicky, it’s not okay. I’ve been lying to you,” Greg turned to look Nick in the face.

“About what, G?”

“The baby,” Greg sobbed and another contraction hit.  Nick grabbed hold of his hand and Greg gripped it tightly. “Ooh, God this hurts.”

“Just breathe, honey,” Nick coached.  “What about the baby?” Nick asked after the contraction passed.

“At the party, for Sara,” Greg started as tears fell down his cheeks. “I drank too much and next thing I knew I woke up,” Greg’s babbling was starting to become incoherent and another contraction racked his body.

“What are you talking about?” Nick asked gently, though he had an idea of where this was going.  He just hoped he was right.

“I was so scared of how you’d react that I ran,” Greg sobbed and Nick held him close.

“React to what, G?”

“Then when I found out I was pregnant I was terrified,” Greg continued as though he wasn’t hearing what Nick was saying. “But I couldn’t get rid of it, I couldn’t bear the thought.” Nick rubbed Greg’s back and the younger man leaned against him. “Even though I was so afraid of your reaction I couldn’t get rid of it. This baby, it’s you and me, Nick,” Greg buried his face in Nick’s chest and cried. “It’s yours, Nick.”  Nick smiled softly and pressed his lips to Greg’s forehead.

“I have to confess that I’ve kinda had a feeling it was mine for a long time now,” Nick said softly and Greg turned his teary face up to look at him.  Nick wiped away Greg’s tears. “And I have vague memories from the party.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Greg asked, just as softly.

“I knew you were scared and I was scared too,” Nick replied. “The memories were so foggy that I was convinced they were only dreams. I thought you’d never feel the same way I do.”

“But I still lied to you,” Greg continued. “I let you believe your memories were just dreams. How can you forgive that so easily?” Nick smiled softly.

“Because I love you, G,” he replied. “And after all the time and everything that’s gone by since that party, you’re here about to give birth to my child. And you _want_ to give birth to my child. That means more to me than anything I can say.” He kissed Greg’s temple and rested their foreheads together.  The tears falling from Greg’s eyes doubled, but weren’t from sadness or pain.

“You love me?”

“Yes, I do,” Nick confirmed. “I’ve loved you for years I just haven’t been able to figure out a way to tell you.” A few tears escaped the corners of Greg’s eyes.

“I never thought you’d ever feel the same way as me, Nicky,” Greg said softly. “I learned long ago it was better to repress and ignore what I was feeling. It got to the point that I’d rather have you as a friend than not have you in my life at all.” He sniffed and Nick wiped his tears away.

“I can understand that completely. Until recently neither of us thought it possible that there could have ever _been_ an ‘us’. So don’t be sorry. We’re here, together. How we got here is all part of the journey.” Greg couldn’t help but smile at this.  Nick was right.  They were here and that was all that mattered.

“I love you, too.” They shared a kiss and Dr. Thomas re-entered the room.

“Seems like someone’s ready to make their debut in this world,” the Doctor smiled as he observed the two men.

“Hey,” Nick said as he turned to Greg.

“What?” Nick smiled.

“We’re having a baby.”

\- 30 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:   
> (1) gesunde Kinder – rough translation: “Healthy Children”.


	9. Welcome Home

It was the early hours of the morning when Nick entered the waiting room to find the nightshift sprawled out over the assorted couches and chairs.  Sara was sleeping on the couch with her head on Grissom’s shoulder, Grissom’s cheek leaning on the top of her head.  Catherine and Warrick were seated in a similar position on a second couch.  Amy, Sofia, and Brass were occupying a couple of somewhat cushioned chairs.  He got a cheeky grin on his face and snuck up behind Warrick and Catherine.  He gently shoved Catherine and caused them both to fall over and jerk awake.

“Shut up Hodges, I don’t care how fast the butterfly can run,” Catherine incoherently muttered, causing the rest to wake up as well.

“What about butterflies?” Grissom asked sleepily.

“You and your bugs,” Brass muttered as he stretched uncomfortably.

“What happened to your hand Nick?” Warrick asked as he yawned.  Nick’s left hand was in a cast.

“Oh, Greg was in a lot of pain,” Nick explained with a lopsided grin.  The women couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s fractured in three places.”

“At least you’re right-handed,” Catherine grinned.  Nick just rolled his eyes.

“How’s Greg?” Amy asked as she stood up.

“He’s great,” Nick smiled. “He was amazing. They just moved him into a private room.”

“So? What is it?” Sofia asked excitedly.

“Why don’t y’all come and see?” They followed him to the room Greg had been brought to while he’d had his hand patched up.  Sofia repeated the question she’d asked Nick upon seeing Greg.

“A baby,” was Greg’s tired but happy sarcastic reply.

“Well we know _that_ ,” Sara said as she noticed the incubator located on the opposite side of Greg’s bed.  Inside was a small baby, its little hand opening and closing as it adjusted itself to the outside world.

“He was about five weeks early, so they’re keeping him in the incubator for a little while just to be safe,” Greg explained as he gazed happily at the infant.

“What’s his name?” Catherine asked as they approached the incubator.

“Kyle Chesney Sanders-Stokes,” Nick replied as he gently took a seat on the bed beside Greg, wrapping an arm around him. (1)

“Sanders- _Stokes_?” Brass raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you didn’t know,” Nick grinned sheepishly.  Greg had filled him in on the fact that only Sara and Amy had any clue. “He’s mine.”

While Sara and Amy smiled the rest choked out various responses like “he’s _yours?_ ”, “I knew it!”, and “why didn’t you tell me?” – the last two being stated or demanded by Catherine and Warrick respectively.

“Look, it’s my fault you didn’t know,” Greg admitted and explained everything (well, almost everything).

\- - -

Six weeks later Nick and Greg were finally able to bring baby Kyle home for the first time.  In that time, with the help of their friends, they were able to get the baby’s room all set up in time.  They’d decided to have a double “Welcome Home” party for both Kyle and Sara – who was passed her due date and moody about it.  Like the going away party that happened earlier that year, it took place after shift and everyone was there.  Even Hodges (the Trace Tech) was happily fussing over little Kyle – when Greg would let him near the baby.

“Hey Sara, how you doing?” Greg asked conversationally as he was burping Kyle (or trying to).  Sara had moved into Grissom’s townhouse the same day they’d had their discussion regarding their baby.

“Still pregnant,” she replied glumly.

“Oh, it’s not that bad Sar,” Greg tried to cheer her up.

“But I want that,” she whined and gestured to Kyle.

“You can have him when he starts crying,” Greg offered and she glared before cracking a half-smile.

“Nah, I can wait,” she replied as Kyle looked like he was going to start throwing a fit.

“Here, Greg honey, why don’t you let me do that this time,” Jillian Stokes offered with a smile as she approached the struggling Carrier.

“Thanks Jill,” he said and gently placed the infant in her arms.

“Oh tosh,” she replied happily. “This is my grandson, I’m thrilled.” Greg smiled widely as he wandered over to where the refreshments were.

“Greg, I still can’t believe you had a baby,” Wendy Simms, the DNA Tech, bubbled happily. “I’m so happy for you!” She threw her arms around her neck and started crying.  Greg looked pleadingly at Hodges who stood next to her. “He’s so cute! Just like you and Nick.”

“Um, is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s just a bit hormonal,” Hodges smirked.

“I am _not_ hormonal, David,” Wendy snapped before latching onto Hodges instead. “I’m pregnant.”

“Isn’t that what I said?”

\- - -

Later that morning Greg was laying his sleeping son in his crib, Nick leaned against the door frame smiling contently as he surveyed his small family. “What?” Greg asked as he turned to see his lover staring at him.

“I just love you is all,” Nick replied as he walked into the room.  They wrapped their arms around one another as they watched their son sleep.

“Hmm, who’d’ve thought that Wendy and Hodges of all people would get together,” Greg commented a bit later as the two readied for bed.

“Wendy and _Hodges_?” Nick asked incredulously as he pulled off his shirt. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope,” Greg replied, slipping into bed. “That’s not all of it, they’re having a baby.”

“Now I know your joking.”

“I swear it’s true. Wendy almost choked me she was so happy.”

“Well, so long as she’s happy,” Nick shrugged and lay next to his boyfriend, Greg’s back pressed to his chest, his still encased hand holding the smaller man close.  After a few silent moments Nick spoke up. “Hey, Greggo, I want to ask you something, but it’s alright if you say no.”

“Hmm, what is it Nicky?”

“Marry me?” Greg turned in Nick’s embrace to face him.

“What?”

“Marry me,” Nick repeated.

“Really Nicky?” Greg asked with a grin.

“Yeah, really. Marry me Greggo.”

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” The two were in the middle of a make-out session when the phone rang.

“This better be good,” Nick muttered as he answered. “Hello?” He sat up straight. “Are you serious?” He paused as whoever it was answered. “No problem, we’ll be over in a little while.”

“What happened? Who was that?”

“That was Catherine,” Nick explained as he stood up. “Sara’s in labour.”

\- - -

Unlike Greg’s labour, which had taken all night, Sara’s was done within three hours.  The group waited anxiously to be able to see her.  Like Greg, everything went smoothly and Sara was thrilled to have the pregnancy over with and be able to hold her baby.

“Hey Sar,” Greg greeted as they entered the room to find Sara cradling a newborn baby boy.

“Hey guys,” she smiled tiredly.

“So, what’s the name of the newest addition to the CSI Nightshift?” Nick asked.

“Andrew Percival Grissom,” Gil answered.

“Percival?” Greg made a face. “As in Percy Weasley?”

Gil looked confused. “Who’s Percy Weasley?”

\- 30 -

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes:  
> (1) Assume they'd discussed/debated the name. Think about it, I just might write a one shot to deal with that scene... maybe...


End file.
